Hypnobirthing in Cheltenham Gloucestershire

Hypnobirthing in Cheltenham has helped many of my clients to prepare for their forthcoming births. I am a registered and very experienced ‘Confident Childbirth Practitioner’ and I run my hypnobirthing courses within the professional setting of my private rooms at No. 3 Royal Crescent, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. My bespoke courses are designed to meet your individual needs. My clients prefer the enhanced approach of ‘one to one’ care and attention at all times. Each session lasts 50 – 60 minutes and can be further enhanced with personalised audio support between sessions.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if every pregnancy, labour and birth were a positive experience for all new parents?

Unfortunately, for many mums-to-be and their partners, anxieties and fears about pain and complications during birth, overshadow what should be one of the most wonderful and happiest events of their lives. You could now make a positive decision and choose to take a different approach using hypnobirthing in Cheltenham and attend a ‘Confident childbirth course’ to help you and your birthing partner experience a more relaxed and confident approach before, during and after the birth.

It has taken many years to create, plan and deliver my ‘Confident Childbirth’ course. The course offers you a caring, professional and effective approach to pregnancy, labour and delivery. The benefits of the course also carry on long after the birth of your baby.

Learning to deal with negative talk is a key skill in itself. Listen in to many conversations on birthing and you’ll soon hear the most gruesome story of childbirth ever. For some, their pregnancy and birth experience has to be the worst – but why do you have to let yourself think that’s the norm? Alternatively, you could take a different path and set up the positive experience you wish to have.

By participating in hypnobirthing in Cheltenham on a Confident childbirth course is your opportunity to do just that with a very experienced and professionally trained guide with a proven map. Wouldn’t it be marvelous to plan ahead and experience the forthcoming birth in a way that best suits your thoughts and emotions whilst feeling calm, confident, communicating clearly and in control? After all, you know your body better than anyone else.

Hypnobirthing can positively affect not just the quality of mothers’ experience but also the physical outcome. Listed below is a synopsis of the benefits of using hypnobirthing for Mum’s to be. For those attendees who would like to study the clinical evidence in more detail I have provided a selection of objective clinical evidence to illustrate the many proven benefits of using hypnosis within and around childbirth for all concerned…

In brief : Hypnosis and Childbirth

Reduces fear, tension and pain in the mother and increases her ability to relax mentally and physically – hence reduce the need for pain medication – you’re always in control.

Reduces use of pain medication – i.e. undesirable post operative effects for mother and baby are also reduced

Completely natural; no depression of respiratory or circulatory functions in mother or child.

Hypnobirthing in Cheltenham – client experiences

“David helped me prepare for the birth of my daughter using hypnobirthing in Cheltenham during the ‘Confident childbirth’ course. The course of sessions worked fantastically well for me – allowing me to stay calm throughout the experience and deliver a lovely baby girl at home with no need for any pain relief. Myself (and my midwives) were so impressed we would recommend David’s techniques to any expectant mother irrespective of the type of birth she is hoping for.

The labour and delivery was actually an enjoyable experience and I felt fantastic afterwards. My little girl has also been very calm and easy going from day one. I felt the beneficial effects long before delivery when my blood pressure lowered and stabilised in the weeks before birth. Bizarrely I also (after 30 years of doing it) have stopped biting my nails without being consciously aware of doing so. I think David has helped create one chilled out mummy. Thank you.”
Vivienne W . Hucclecote, Glos.

“I found my ‘confident childbirth’ sessions incredibly relaxing which was really welcome when I was heavily pregnant. They are very calm and nothing to worry about. I also had a CD so that I could learn to relax totally at home, which gave me 20 minutes of shut off time. I felt incredibly confident about the impending birth, I didn’t have any fear just excitement and expectation. The birth was planned to take place at home but I ended up being admitted to hospital where they discovered our baby was back to back. The delivery took place in theatre with a lot of medication. We had a beautiful baby boy named Oscar and despite the 2 day labour I would do it all again in a heart beat. He is our world! Thank you to David for helping me to feel totally relaxed about labour.”Kelly, Gloucester.

‘Following the difficult and challenging birth of my first child I was looking at ways to manage my second pregnancy in a different way. I undertook a series of sessions with David Crees at Ethical Minds, he helped me to calm down and ease my fears of my forthcoming labour. During the sessions I learnt how to focus on my breathing and how to think about the ‘positives’. When I went into labour I remained surprisingly calm. The birth went very well and very quickly. I now have a beautiful baby daughter and I am pleased to say it’s a completely different start to that of my son. I would recommend hypnobirthing and the confident childbirth course to any prospective Mum. Give David a call he’s there to help…”
Lisa, Cheltenham.

“The ‘Confident Childbirth’ sessions at Ethical Minds Hypnotherapy in Cheltenham were brilliant. Each hypnobirthing session, right from the start, filled me with confidence and positive thoughts about the birthing experience. The sessions reassured me and gave me focus and a clear plan so that I could envisage the birth from beginning to end and they made me feel calm and relaxed about the whole thing. David was great and I felt comfortable with him. It’s definitely worth trying …”
Anastasia, Swindon.

‘After investigating the various options for hypnobirthing, I decided on David’s ‘Confident Childbirth in Cheltenham’ programme as his practical, personal, NLP based, nonsense-free approach really appealed to me. Right from the off I felt more confident & prepared for whatever was ahead. David’s style immediately put me at ease. During our sessions David taught me mind management techniques to remain calm, clear & focused, which proved invaluable. He helped me to realise my labour didn’t have to follow the ideal birth plan in my head & made me feel I could cope with whatever twist & turns it took. My labour ended up being 39 hours, with an ambulance transfer between hospitals mid-way. But far from feeling panicked, I felt completely in control & remarkably calm throughout. I even managed the whole thing without pain relief, just a few puffs of gas & air at the pushing stage. I felt so empowered. The midwives couldn’t believe how together I was!

It was drama free, manageable & an incredible bonding experience with my husband. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I’m certain it was preparing for the event with David that made our labour such a relaxed, even enjoyable event. Everyone comments on how chilled out our son is too. I still use the techniques David taught me now, to cope with stressful situations as a new mum. Our time together has proved incredibly beneficial. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him!’

A five year study, based on data recorded in the labour ward, comparing 252 women who received six sessions of hypnotherapy, with a control group 300, same age to within 2 years. Only normal deliveries included in control group.

Average length of first stage of labour for first time mothers : 6.4 hours after hypnosis training versus 9.3 hours in the control group ( i.e. no hypnosis training)

For second child + births 5.3 hrs, compared to 6.2 hrs.

Pain relief ; first baby, 50%+ had more than 100gm Pethidine, compared with less than 10% of hypnosis group.

Pain relief ( more than 100gm of Pethidine) for parous women; nearly 60% for controls 33% for hypnosis group.

Toronto

A city wide retrospective survey. Self-referred first time mothers, low risk who had four 2.5 hrs hypnosis sessions, were compared to similar control groups, with variations per hospital noted for the control groups.

Average length of labour for non hypnotised women having first baby – 12 hrs versus 5.5 hrs for the self hypnotised group

Florida

A.A. Martin, P.G. Schauble, The effects of hypnosis on the labour process and birth outcomes of pregnant adolescents. The Journal of Family Practice, May 2001, Vol 50 , No. 5.

In this Florida based study 47, pregnant teenagers were randomly assigned either to supportive counselling or to hypnosis. They received 4 x 1 hr sessions at 2 week intervals. No hypnotherapist was present during the labour and results were entered by unaware obstetrics staff.

Hospital stay of 2+ days : 40% 8 of control group versus just 1 of the hypnosis group.

Wisconsin

Relaxation techniques v Hypnosis training techniques.

TM Harmon, MT Hynan, TE Tyre, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. In 1990, the benefits of analgesia as an adjunct to childbirth education were studied in 60 nulliparous women ( i.e. women who have not given birth before). Subjects were divided equally into high and low hypnotic susceptibility groups before receiving 6 sessions of childbirth education and skill mastery. Half the subjects in each group received a hypnotic induction at the beginning of each session; the remaining controls received relaxation and breathing exercises typically used in childbirth education. Both hypnotic subjects and highly susceptible subjects reported reduced pain. Hypnotically prepared births had shorter Stage 1 labours, less medication, higher Apgar scores and more frequent spontaneous deliveries than control subjects’ births. Highly susceptible, hypnotically treated women had lower depression scores after birth than women in the other 3 groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Individual sessions? or Confident Childbirth Course?

Individual sessions:

Hypnobirthing in Cheltenham sessions last 1 hour. Fee is £75 per session – starting before 7.00pm and booked individually.

Confident Childbirth Course

When a course of four 50 minute sessions are booked in advance the fee is £249. Most clients take advantage of this saving and opt for the course of 4 sessions.

Can my birthing partner attend the sessions?

Birthing partners are most welcome to attend the hypnobirthing sessions at no extra cost.

When should I attend?

There is no hard and fast rule here and my approach is very flexible to suit your individual needs. Many participants begin their course from’ 24 weeks’ onwards. Some clients prefer to start slightly earlier and enjoy practising their skills for longer.

How are the sessions planned out?

First and foremost, I’m working with people not machines and different people have different needs and requirements. Nature has its own ways of expressing itself and sometimes things start to happen a little faster than expected…
Your hypnobirthing sessions take place over a 4 to 8 week period. Some clients have preferred to attend all 4 sessions in a two week period prior to their predicted delivery date. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way here. Most importantly, we can discuss your specific needs and initiate your plan quickly and easily.

► For a free initial consultation to discuss your individual requirements about hypnobirthing in Cheltenham and your Confident Childbirth Course, contact me now via email or call me now on 01242 570186 or 07726 789214